Self-help books by Hampton Roads authors

For the past few weeks, we've been focusing on summer reads, but with back-to-school shopping in full swing, it's time to get serious. In recent months, Hampton Roads authors have released a number of self-help books, from weight loss, to making money, to seeking spiritual healing.

Here is a sampling:

Diabetic health

Check out "Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week—A safe, effective method for losing weight and improving your health" (American Diabetes Association, 2012) by Jill Weisenberger. As the title indicates, this book is designed for diabetics, mostly Type 2 diabetics who comprise about 90 percent of the diabetic population, according to Weisenberger, a Yorktown resident and health consultant. But the title doesn't tell the whole story. Weisenberger wrote in an e-mail that while the book contains content specific to diabetics, its basic principles are applicable to anyone who wants to lose weight.

At approximately 220 pages, the book is packed with research and resources, charts and graphs, and sample menus of varying calorie counts, separated into three parts: basics, a long-term plan, and background information and resources. Throughout the book, which is written in a realistic but motivational tone, Weisneberger provides tips and information that encourage success-fostering habits. From the introduction: "There are no rules here—just guidance….(Y)ou'll learn that weight loss is about skill, not willpower. There is a large gap between being motivated and successfully losing weight. That gap needs to be filled with knowledge, strategies, skills, self-confidence, and feedback. That's what this book will give you."

If you appreciate planning, charting and record-keeping, this book could be the perfect weight-loss guide for you. It is available from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online for about $14 in paperback and $8 for Kindle and Nook.

Less weight, more life

You might be interested in "Less Weight More Life! Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You?: Top 21 Questions You Need to Ask (Volume 1)" (Center for Weight Loss Success, 2013) by Newport News bariatric surgeon Dr. Thomas W. Clark.

Clark, founder of the Center for Weight Loss Success in Newport News, has been performing bariatric surgery—nearly 4,000 procedures — for 20 years, according to a news release. He wrote in the book's author's notes that he decided to specialize exclusively in bariatric surgery in the 1990s but became frustrated as his patients regained weight following an initial loss.

"They were frustrated and so was I," he wrote. "You see weight loss is inevitable after weight loss surgery (particularly during the first year) but if you don't understand how to use your new tool most effectively and change your underlying habits, you are potentially set up for long-term failure."

The book's 21 chapters address those concerns in a range of topics including options for weight reduction, insurance considerations, choosing a surgeon, and life after weight loss. The book is available at Amazon.com for about $14 for paperback and $5 for Kindle. Amazon Prime members can borrow the Kindle version for free.

Clark's follow-up book, "Less Worry More Life! Preparing for Weight Loss Surgery: What You Need to Know for Ultimate Success," will be released Aug. 20 at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle format.

Need extra cash?

Newport News author Jerry Scicchitano's book "Part-time Income Enterprise: Your Road Map to Make Full-Time Income With Part-Time Efforts" (Morgan James Publishing, 2013) is for people who need more money. Scicchitano, a retired assistant principal from Menchville High School wrote that he has started "many successful part-time businesses" and uses his experience in education to convey techniques for building a successful part-time business.

The book, designed in a free-flow, single-chapter format, covers goal-setting and wish-listing, assessment of assets and resources, and strategies for time management and analysis. Scattered throughout are charts, graphs and lists to help the reader create and execute an action plan.

Specific business examples with success stories follow but in no specific order. "The business profiles are not going to be arranged by categories," Scicchitano wrote, "because I want to keep your thought process open. While reading one opportunity, you may be able to group its concept with another and come up with your own enterprise concept."

That emphasis on a positive thought process starts at the book's preface: "In these pages, I'm going to show you how to get yourself focused and save yourself time and provide you and easy-to-follow plan to reach your extra income goal…. Using focus and hard work to make money are two major keys to success." The book is available in paperback and digital at several online retailers. Learn more at PartTimeIncomeEnterprise.com.

Faith steps

What if you're out of options and life seems hopeless?In "What to Do When the Blessings Stop" (self-published, 2013) Virginia Beach author Virginia Hull Welch uses the biblical Book of Haggai as a basis for helping Christians find spiritual footing when all seems lost.

From the author's website: "We're not talking here about routine trials and tribulations that we all must endure. No, this is about the hitting-the-wall aspect of spiritual famine: when nothing you do prospers. 'What to Do When' will teach you how to recognize spiritual famine in your life, the difference between spiritual famine and ordinary faith trails, how and why God sends famine, and what steps you must take to break its crushing effects on your life."

Welch, who published two Christian/inspirational fiction books this year, attends New Life Providence Church and volunteers at Union Mission Ministries in Norfolk.

"What to Do When the Blessings Stop" is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle for about $9 and $5, respectively. Amazon Prime members can borrow the Kindle version for free.

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Leah Price blogs about the local writing community and is always on the lookout for what's new. If you have a new release or an upcoming event you'd like to share, contact Leah at ldprice@dailypress.com or 247-4745.